Show time: Salary negotiation!

First of all, thanks to all the bees who’ve commented to my previous threads about this. Just wanted to give an update and ask for advice as this week, it’s show time & I need to negotiate!

Background1.) I’m making 40K at an entry-level job, set to go up to 45K next month2.) I went to 3 interviews for an internal position, and after it all was asked what my current salary is and what I want to earn3.) I honestly state what I’m making and the fact that I’m due for a raise soon. I also asked the hiring manager what the position level of the job is, because that would give me a better idea of what to ask for (pay ranges are posted on our intranet)4.) Instead of answering me, he schedules a phone meeting between me and his boss (big deal boss lady in the firm)5.) I call HR and find out that the job is level 8, and I’m currently at level 11. 8 pays 60K minimum, and the average range is 65K-79K. 6.) I fall over in my chair.

Also: While the position calls for 5 years of industry experience, what I do is highly specialized and so my 2+ years of intensive experience makes me one of the most qualified people in the firm to do this job (nobody else in the country has been doing what I do full-time). I also don’t have a finance designation like they ask for, but I can earn one quickly (like in a month) if they will pay for it. Additionally, I speak 5 languages fluently, one of which they desperately need and haven’t been able to fill the void for a long time now.

@ChicFoodist: I would ask for 70k, for them to pay for your finance designation and once achieved a raise to 75k. Once you have been in the job for a few years and have achieve the required experience then you should be making the top end of the range.

@foreverthine: Thanks for the advice! 🙂 I was (am?) worried about asking for too much and turning the employer off as it IS a big jump for me…but I think that could be because talking about money makes me uncomfortable anyway, and I know it’s something I know I need to get over.

As I’ve gone through this process, I’ve asked for advice here (mostly women) and another forum that’s used more by men. The answers are so different and it’s interesting. You may be the only one here who’s suggested that I ask for a figure in the actual average range, while everyone on the other forum told me this or no lower than 60K at least.

I should add that the maximum pay range for this job level is 79K-90K.

@ChicFoodist: Don’t lowball yourself. It’s business, not personal. Ask for what you should be getting paid, and if they don’t agree and they really want you to do the job, they will counter offer. If they recognize that you are the most qualified and they want you doing the job, salary negotiations (within reason) shouldn’t turn them off to hiring you, and they know what the average salary is for the position and what they shouldbe paying you.

Honestly, I’d be pretty happy even with even the minimum range (60-65K), knowing I’m going into this role with less industry experience than others. I just worry that they may want to dip below the minimum because the hiring manager wouldn’t tell me what the position level was – I found out after pulling the job posting up again and verifying with HR that it was accurate. I wonder what the chances will be that they want to pay me less than 60…

@jb20: You make a good point. One of my aunts (sr exec, lots of experience hiring & managing people) said she respects people who dare to ask for what they want because if someone can’t take care of themselves/their family, how will they take care of the business? However, that’s just her personality…not every boss feels the same way. 😛

@ChicFoodist: Also if you can, have their side name the number first. In money negotiations, usually the person who names the number first is the one who loses.

Ex–my job’s range was 100-130k. They asked me what I wanted, and I asked them to name what they thought was fair. I would have been in it for 100k. They offered 115k. This point of the offer is where the applicant has the most bargaining power. I said actually I was thinking 120k. And then we settled on that. If I had named the number first and said 115k, then I bet they would have said 110k and we settled on 112k. See? Have them name it first–this is the third time I have done this and it worked out similarly all 3 times.

I have an informal call scheduled with the hiring manager today, and a formal call with his boss on Friday. Someone suggested that I use the informal call to get a feel for how they will deal with this big jump by letting him know that I did go back to review the job posting, saw that it’s level 8, I know it’s a big jump, how will they handle this.

However, SO is advising me not to address the elephant in the room until they do because if I bring up the fact that it’s a big jump, etc, it’s like I’m saying I’m not even worth 60K. He said to see what they suggest first, but if they push for me to throw out a figure, then I do so.

@ChicFoodist: There is a delicate balance when dealing with moving up/raises. On one hand, you don’t want to sound pushy or aggressive. On the other hand, you want to ensure that you are getting paid fairly. I get it.

If the point of the call is to discuss salary expectations, then you should be prepared with what you will/won’t accept, and what you think is fair. It’s good that you have done your research and know what you should expect to hear, and that you can identify what this new position is actually worth.

I probably wouldn’t bring up how big of a leap it is, I’m sure they are aware. But if the purpose is to discuss pay, I would make sure you don’t let them short you because it IS such a big leap, if that makes sense.

I agree with all PPs. Just remember women tend to undervalue themselves ESPECIALLY in salary negotiations. I would ask for the a little over middle of the median range, maybe 75, but don’t expect it and then settle for something you think is closer to your worth like 70k as other PP mentioned. You never know! You might get that 75k!

@ChicFoodist: I would not bring up your salary in your current position, honestly that was your first mistake to tell them what you make, because they will only use that to hurt you. If they feel you are qualified for the job, they have the budget to pay you for it. Negotiate based on the assets you could bring to the potential job, and DO NOT bring up the salary jump. This will only clue them in that you would be happy to be earning more than what you are currently, not what the job is worth.